PD1A II: Personality Development

Personality

Refers to characteristic ways a person behaves and thinks.

• Genetic Explanations

• Role of the Environment

• Experience

(3) Factors that Influence Personality

• Consistency

• Psychological & Physiological

• Impacts Behaviors & Actions

• Multiple Expression

(4) Fundamental Characteristics of Personality

Consistency

A fundamental trait in personality where there is a generally recognizable order and regularity to behaviors.

Psychological & Physiological

A fundamental characteristic in personality where it is not only a mental construct but a biological process as well.

Impacts Behaviors & Actions

A fundamental characteristic in personality where it not only influences but also causes us to act in certain way.

Multiple Expressions

A fundamental characteristic in personality where it is displayed in more ways than just behavior.

Type Theories

Trait Theories

Psychodynamic Theories

Behavioral Theories

Humanistic Theories

(5) Major Perspective on Personality

Trait Theories

A perspective on personality where there is a limited number of “personality types”

Type Theories

A perspective on personality where it tends to view personality as the result of internal characteristics.

Psychodynamic Theories

A perspective on personality where it emphasizes the influence of the unconscious mind on personality.

Behavioral Theories

A perspective on personality where personality is the result of an individual interacting with its environment.

Humanistic Theories

A perspective on personality where it emphasizes the importance of free will and individual experience in developing personality.

Psychology Applications

These assessments are used to help people learn more about themselves and their unique characteristics.

Hereditary Factor

Common Experiences

Unique Experiences

(3) Factors in Shaping Personality

Subjective Methods

Objective Methods

Projective Methods

Psycho-analytical Methods

Physical Test

(5) Methods to Assess Personality

Subjective Methods

A method in which the individual is permitted to disclose what he knows about themselves.

• Autobiography

• Case History

• Interview

• Questionnaire

(4) Types of Subjective Methods

Autobiography

A subjective method where the individual narrates their experiences themselves.

Case History

A subjective method that is used to understand the personality-pattern of an individual and in retrospective studies; triangulation of data.

Interview

A subjective method that is the most common in judging personality; the interviewer allows the individual to talk freely.

Structured Interview

Unstructured Interview

Semi-Structured Interview

(3) Types of Interviews

Structured Interview

A type of interview that follows a set of procedures.

Unstructured Interview

A type of interview where there is no specific reference or set of procedures.

Semi-structured Interview

A type of interview that has a set of questions and open-ended questions.

Clarifier

Disqualifier

Past-focus

Skill or Knowledge Focus

Future-focus

Organizational-fit Focus

(6) Types of Interview Questions

Questionnaires

A subjective method where series of printed or written ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions are given to an individual.

Objective Methods

A method in which it does not depend on the subject’s own statements but to their overt behaviors; observed in certain life situations.

• In Miniature Life Situations

• Unobserved Observation

• Rating Scale

(3) Types of Objective Methods

In Miniature Life Situations

An objective method where artificial situations resembling real life situations are created to test the subject’s response.

Unobserved Observation

An objective method where individuals are asked to perform tasks and is observed through a one-way mirror.

Rating Scales

An objective method in which the individual is placed on a scale which indicates the degree to which a person posses a given behavior trait.

Projective Methods

A method in which the subject is requested to behave in an imaginative way; intends to reveal the underlying traits that determine the behavior of the individual.

Projective Hypothesis

An assumption that underlies the use of of projective methods to perceive and reveal their innermost characteristics.

Generally neutral

Psychological Reality Over Actual Reality

Unconscious Aspect of the Personality

Project Tests are Level C

(4) Common Features in Projective Techniques

• Rorschach Ink Blot Test

• Thematic Apperception Test

• Children Apperception Test

• Tantophone

• Play Techniques

• Word Association Test

• Picture Association Test

• Incomplete Sentences Techniques

(8) Types of Projective Methods

Rorschach Ink Blot Test

A projective method that was developed in 1921; uses 10 inkblots.

Hermann Rorschach

The Swiss Psychiatrist that developed the ink blot test.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective method developed in 1935 that contains 19 ambiguous pictures; individuals are asked to form a story that describes what led to the situation shown in the picture.

• Henry Murray

• Christiana Morgan

They developed the TAT projective method.

Children Apperception Test (CAT)

A projective method developed in 1948 that uses animals to display a situation; psychologists establish rapport with the child for cooperation.

Leopold Bellack

Developed the CAT projective method.

Tantophone

A projective method where the subject is advised to listen while a phonograph reproduces various speech samples; auditory Rorschach.

B.F. Skinner

He introduced the Tantophone projective method.

Play Techniques

A projective method where the subject is allowed to construct scenes using toys.

Word Association Test

A projective test where the subject is presented with a list of words with the instruction to respond with the first word that comes into mind.

Picture Association Test

Pictures of social situations are substituted for words as the stimulus material; consists of 24 cartoon like drawings depicting everyday situations.

Picture-frustration Study

A study by Rosensweig that is a well known technique for the picture association test.

Incomplete Sentence Techniques

A projective method where the subject is given incomplete sentence which they are instructed to finish.

Psychoanalytic Methods

A method in which it aims to show the unconscious aspect of the individual’s personalities.

• Free Association

• Dream Analysis

(2) Types of Psychoanalytic Methods

Free Association

A psychoanalytic method where individuals have to verbalize their every thought no matter the relevancy.

Dream Analysis

A psychoanalytic method where the psychologist observes the subject’s dreams.

• Manifest Content

• Latent Content

(2) Types of Dream Analysis

Manifest Content

The surface meaning or the conscious description of the dream.

Latent Content

The deeper meaning behind the dream.